1.
hunger; starvation; famine
Severe lack of food, ranging from extreme hunger to widespread famine. Used in serious or formal contexts about food crises and deprivation.
飢餓に苦しむ。
To suffer from hunger.
世界では多くの人が飢餓に直面している。
Many people around the world are facing starvation.
戦争によって引き起こされた飢餓で、何百万もの命が失われた。
Millions of lives were lost to famine caused by war.
A formal word used in news, academic, and humanitarian contexts. Common collocations include 飢餓に苦しむ (to suffer from starvation), 飢餓に直面する (to face famine), and 飢餓状態 (state of starvation). For everyday hunger, お腹が空いた or 空腹 is used instead. 飢饉 (famine) refers specifically to a large-scale food crisis affecting a region.